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National Parks Week in April isn’t the only time to go out and explore new places or even visit that old favorite spot in nature. Throughout the year, Oregon`s national parks offer fun activities and opportunities that are often over looked. “I got to go to Crater Lake for National Park week; it was free entry and was a beautiful hike. I think everyone should get out and enjoy our National Parks whenever they get the chance,” Madalyn Pickett, a UCC dual enrollment student, said. Crater Lake is one favorite spot all year with more to do than meets the eye. Facts about Crater Lake:Read More →

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In: Environmental

Glade, Air Wick, Spot Shot, Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner, Ajax, Dynamo and Fab Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergents are common household products that have been listed on the “Cleaners Hall of Shame” by The Environmental Working Group. In a study conducted in 2012, these products were found to be the most harmful household products. These are not the only problematic cleaning products. Many cleaning supplies can cause some terrible symptoms over time such as coughing, sneezing, skin rashes and even headaches. Many cleaning supplies have a warning on the bottle of what can happen if the use of these products are prolonged. ARead More →

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In: Environmental

As the days get warmer and summer gets closer, everyone has an itch to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, but staying safe in the rushing rivers and hot sun should still be a priority, according to health authorities. The rivers in the area are not warm enough to swim in yet. “Air temperatures may feel hot, and the water may feel or appear warm, but temperatures can be extremely cold below the surface. Hypothermia can quickly set in and overwhelm even the strongest of swimmers, becoming too weak to escape,” Recreation.gov states. Rivers can be some of the most dangerous places to visitRead More →

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In: Environmental

Douglas County’s bucks have shed their antlers this year, and most, if not all of the elk bulls have done the same. The process of finding shed antlers usually takes a lot of time and hiking distance, but the prospect of fresh sheds keeps some antler enthusiasts obsessed with sheds for months on end. Learning how to find cervid headgear can be difficult, but by applying a few of the right techniques, shed hunting can be more productive. Shed hunters often lead their inexperienced partners right over a shed while peering through binoculars or scouting rub spots. Carefully observing the ground is more important thanRead More →

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In: Environmental

With the hope of warmer weather comes the threat of wildfires. At the front of fire prevention and protection for the majority of Douglas County is the Douglas Forest Protective Agency, DFPA. The DFPA “provides fire protection for 1.6 million acres of public, private, county, state, Bureau of Land Management, or BLM and Bureau of Indian Affairs Lands,” according to DFPA Fire Prevention Specialist, Kyle Reed. Charts detailing fire data provided by Reed show that in 2017 the county endured a total of 100 fires, 80 of them were human caused. Out of the 1.6 million acres DFPA protects, humans caused 16,570 acres to burnRead More →

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In: Campus Life, Environmental

Cindy Haws’s Biology class traveled to the Lower Cow Creek Watershed area near Riddle Friday, March 2 to view the impact of the logged landscape and the use of variable retention regeneration harvesting at the 2015 and 2017 Douglas Complex and Horse Prairie fire locations. The purpose of the trip was to analyze the Bureau of Land Management’s oversight of the lands. The field trip lab taught that variable retention regeneration harvesting is a timber harvest method that retains structures, organisms and conditions from the pre-harvest stand for incorporation into the post-harvest ecosystem with the goal of establishing complex early-seral forest conditions through the regenerationRead More →

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In: Campus Life, Environmental

The UCC Forestry Club, reinstated this year, is attracting a wide group of active club members and volunteers. “We have a diverse thought process across the board. We’re not just a bunch of people wanting to go into forest harvest and things like that, but we have those natural resource students also. Those ideas are important to hear,” said first-year forestry major Travis Smith. The UCC Forestry Club provides an opportunity to raise public support and awareness for Douglas County’s forestry employment opportunities and its natural resources. The club has operated to date without any funding, according to Forestry Club President Wade Christensen. Weekly meetingsRead More →

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In: Environmental

This past winter has been noticeably warm. According to the AccuWeather website, December recorded a high of 63℉ with a low of only 30℉. In January, the high was a comfortable 71℉ with a low of 36℉. It was only below freezing 15 times in the past three months. The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Forestry have a season climate forecast for the months of March to May. La Niña conditions are being observed which will “increase the chances for cool temperatures and some recovery of mountain snowpacks, which are currently well-below average.” Roseburg sits in a valley which seldom getsRead More →

twin lakes slider

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In: Environmental

Up to an hour’s drive, up either Highway 138 or Little River Road, lies an oasis filled with two emerald lakes, high mountain peaks and wide open meadows. Many local residents flock here, but they don’t talk about it. There are two trailheads into Twin Lakes, and they both offer stunning views. Most people take Highway 138 up the North Umpqua. An easy way to remember when to make the turn is to look for the gravel road just yards after the highway crosses the river. Another way to access the lakes is from an exit off of Little River Road. Look for the NFRead More →